Legal fight over sewage outflows around coast
Conservation groups join forces in challenging Government
AGROUP of environmental charities is taking the Government to court for allowing water companies to empty sewage into rivers and the sea.
The Marine Conservation Society has joined as a co-claimant in a judicial review against the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to protect coastlines from sewage outflows, which occur regularly around the Westcountry coast – particularly after heavy rainfall to prevent waste water in Victorian combined pipe networks from backing up into homes.
The charity has joined Cornwall-based Surfers Against Sewage and campaign group WildFish in the legal action, which is seeking to force the redrafting of the Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, imposing tighter deadlines for action on water companies. Under Government plans, by 2035 water companies will have to improve all storm overflows.
The Marine Conservation Society said: “Our seas deserve better.”
AGROUP of environmental charities is taking the Government to court for allowing water companies to pump sewage into rivers and the sea.
The Marine Conservation Society has filed a case, joining as a coclaimant in a judicial review against the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to protect English seas from sewage dumping.
The charity has been joined by fellow campaign group WildFish in the legal action, which is seeking to force the withdrawal and redrafting of the Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan 2022, impose tighter deadlines on water companies and redevelop the plan to effectively apply to many coastal waters excluded.
Launched and funded by the Good Law Project, the Marine Conservation Society will also stand as co-claimants on the case with Richard Haward’s Oysters, and surfer and activist Hugo Tagholm, former chief executive of Cornwall-based environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage.
Sandy Luk, chief executive of the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Untreated sewage is being pumped into our seas for hundreds of thousands of hours each year, putting people, planet and wildlife at risk. We’ve tried tirelessly to influence the UK Government on what needs to be done, but their plan to address this deluge of pollution entering our seas is still unacceptable. We owe it to our members, supporters and coastal communities to act, which is why we’ve joined as co-claimants on this case. We’re out of options. Our seas deserve better.”
The legal action comes days after Surfers Against Sewage released its latest damning report on sewage overflow and sewage-related sickness. According to the report, during the 2022 season, South West Water (SWW) was responsible for a total of 1,990 hours of sewage being pumped into the sea at beaches across the region.
Earlier this year, Cornwall was named as a sewage pollution hotspot, with the county receiving one of the largest numbers of serious reported pollution incidents from crude and storm sewage in England since 2019, according to Government data.
Amy Slack, head of campaigns and policy at Surfers Against Sewage, said: “The Government’s sewage plan goes nowhere near fast or far enough to end sewage pollution. How will we ever halt the decline in nature and restore our rivers and seas if we continue to allow sewage to be spewed into the environment until 2050? We support all campaign efforts, whether legal, political or community action that seeks to bring about a sea-change in the profiteering, polluting water industry.
Our blue spaces are dying. We need action, not hollow words.”
WildFish argues that Defra’s plan is unlawful on the grounds that it approves continuing unlawful conduct, fails to take into account the existing law and breaches the Habitats Regulations. WildFish has instructed leading environmental law barrister James Maurici KC and Charles Bishop of Landmark Chambers, and Fieldfisher LLP, to bring the challenge.
In a tweet, the organisation said: “Government’s plan to deal with sewage pollution fails to address the cause of the problem. It is also confusing and contradictory and sets targets as far ahead as 2050. We need urgent action now to end sewage pollution – not in 28 years’ time.”
Rachel Wyatt, policy and advocacy manager for Clean Seas at the Marine Conservation Society, added: “Untreated sewage contains a cocktail of bacteria, viruses, harmful chemicals, and microplastics.”
Sewage outflows typically occur during heavy rainfall to help connected pipe networks cope and avoid waste water backing up into homes and residential areas.
A Water UK spokesman has previously said: “Companies agree there is an urgent need to tackle storm overflows.
“They are set to launch one of the country’s largest-ever infrastructure programmes, which, if approved by regulators, will deliver £56 billion of improvements for our rivers and seas.”
‘Our blue spaces are dying. We need action, not hollow words’ SURFERS AGAINST SEWAGE